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RAISA Yebo - March 2003 issue
Regional AIDS Initiative of Southern Africa/VSO
March 2003

Some feedback from the 6 RAISA contries:

Men United is a South African group dedicated to breaking the silence about male rape, providing support and care for survivors and their families, and educating youth to speak out against all sexual abuse. Founder Ivan Louw, who presented his story at the conference, is himself a survivor. In 2001 he was hijacked, tortured and raped by three men near Pretoria. Narrowly escaping with his life after being doused with petrol, Louw refused to keep silent and accept the stigma associated with male rape. "Police do not enforce stigma, society does, we do, and we can change this," said Louw.

Ivan Louw, Men United: "It was a splendid opportunity to meet other like minded people in the world of men and HIV.  Not only did the conference provide a platform for networking, it also opened my eyes to new perceptions and ideas". (www.menunited.org.za)

Boitshepo Lesetedi, PPASA (Planned Parenthood SA):
This conference for me challenged me particularly around the fact that one cannot do this work without being personally challenged and also without dealing with one's own stereotypes and biases. It was very much encouraging to see men accepting that this epidemic is a communal response and thus we need to agree on common strategies of collaboration.

Prof. Herbst, UNISA, University of South Africa: "The conference provided the opportunity of hearing directly from delegates about what is happening around HIV & AIDS at grass roots in the real world out there. Furthermore, I have had several invitations to visit other countries in an effort to share knowledge and expertise. Professor Herbst is doing research on male sex workers. The research can be obtained by inter-library loan from: UNISA Library PO Box 392 UNISA 0003. It should be available on CD Rom soon.

Professor Lindegger, University of Natal:
"I have already accessed a number of forums that were shared at the conferences (e.g. Men as Partners, SA and PADARE, Zim) and we have begun to look at the possibility of collaborative projects". Prof. Lindegger is doing research on Masculinity and HIV/AIDS.
(For more info Carine.Munting@vsoint.org)

Ian Milimo of Kara Counselling in Zambia was also among the participants. (Kara promotes human development by providing counselling and training). Ian said that what he learnt from the conference was that there is need to develop both feminine and masculine aspects in all children without reference to their sex.

Ian also emphasized the message that homosexuality and men having sex with men is a growing trend in Africa and that it is a human right for people to enjoy the kind of sex they want, in so far as this right does not infringe on the right of others. As a result of the conference Ian finds that Kara Counselling as an organisation should expand their services so that vulnerable groups are also attended to. For example Kara has no programme with prisons, where men are having sex with men and there should be more awareness on this according to Ian. (For more info Chad.Kalobwe@vsoint.org)

''What captured my attention most was SAMNET's (Zimbabwe) presentation on the involvement of men in HIV/AIDS education and Home Based Care. (SAMNET’s mission is to involve men in the fight against AIDS). I think I picked some of the tools and strategies that SAMNET is using and have pushed for their inclusion in our plans." Regina Chilezi from NAPHAM (Nat. Assoc. of people living with AIDS) commented. " I think VSO should be doing more of these learning visits. Our friends in Uganda have done a tremendous work and have achieved lots of successes in the fight against the pandemic and we could learn more from them and do the same in our country." *

Using lessons learnt from Brett Anderson from GIPA (Greater Involvement of People living with AIDS), South Africa, NAPHAM has already started approaching senior managers of companies and organisations to educate them on HIV/AIDS.

Using some of the strategies and lessons learnt from the conference, NAPHAM has already conducted HIV/AIDS education training with management of SECURICOR, the biggest security company in Malawi.

It is also interesting to note that all the participants that attended the conference have reported that they have now established contacts within the region that they now could tap into and can now access information not only on the involvement of men in HIV/AIDS but also on many other issues around the pandemic. "Thanks to RAISA and VSO" was the comment from almost all participants. (For more info (Steve.Tahuna@vsoint.org)

* VSO RAISA is organising a study tour on community based responses around Orphans and Vulnerable Children to Uganda in May together with UNASO

Following a successful Men and HIV conference held in Pretoria last month, delegates from Zimbabwe have decided to have a national workshop facilitated by VSORAISA and Padare, a local men’s forum on gender. The workshop will look at a number of issues including the stigma surrounding men having sex with other men (MSM) and involving men in HIV research.

At a follow-up briefing held in Harare, Phineas Murapa (Price Waterhouse Coopers), one of the delegates, pointed out HIV research in Zimbabwe neglected men having sex with men (MSM). He pointed out that no one had carried research or had the relevant statistics on MSM, particularly those in Zimbabwean prisons. He also said that Men were not involved enough as caregivers and counsellors, adding that there was lack of male mobilisation in the AIDS pandemic.

This meant that in Zimbabwe and other Southern countries men living with HIV and AIDS are counselled and cared for by women who would not adequately address the needs of men.

Echoing the same sentiment Believe Dhliwayo, a programme manager with The Center, a support organisation of people living with AIDS (PLWA) said there was need for tackling the silence that surrounded the gay community in Zimbabwe. He added that the RAISA conference had been an eye opener to the plight of gay people, who often lack the right prevention messages, as they are not recognised as a vulnerable group. While all the delegates acknowledged that there was a need to redress issues surrounding masculinity, the consensus at the briefing was that there was a need to include the leadership, community and non-governmental organisation in a concerted response to the topic of Men and HIV. Regis Mtutu, the Executive Director of Padare men’s forum on gender said, "the conference had opened a lot of areas for discussion, which can benefit Zimbabwean leaders and community.

However, Melusi Ndlalambi, who is working on a Collaborative Research Programme in Women's Health between the University of Zimbabwe and the University of California in San Francisco, said the challenge for the on coming workshop lay in including men in HIV researches and not restrict them to women as has been in the past.

" The challenge was to see how we could bring men in HIV research. He urged people to research around issues of male rape.

While in the past men have received the brunt for not "being responsible,’ Mtutu said the conference on men and HIV had been refreshing in that all the interventions recommended where based on the "non-blame" principle.

(For more info vsozim@zol.co.zw) 

Men and HIV/AIDS in Namibia. Unlike some of the other Southern African countries, represented at the Regional RAISA conference, Namibia is dealing with the problem that men have been very reluctant to play an active role in the fight against HIV and AIDS. However through the RAISA Small Grant Fund, RAISA has been able to support certain initiatives and men’s organizations that focus on Men and HIV/AIDS. One example is an initiative called The Rainbow Project (TRP), which focuses on issues pertaining to gay men. TRP felt that all the HIV/AIDS prevention activities in Namibia were aimed towards heterosexuals, therefore they developed a campaign that focused on specific issues and risks for gay men. Another project that RAISA’s Small Grant Fund sponsored that is looking at men and HIV/AIDS is a project, which has been designed to educate farmers and farm workers about HIV/AIDS. It is an initiative from the Farmers Union, which amongst other activities displays HIV/AIDS educational materials and condoms at agricultural shows and cattle markets so that farmers have access to them. Finally RAISA supported a project of the Namibian Truck Drivers Union, which focuses on educating long distance truck drivers and commercial sex workers about the risk of AIDS and prevention methods. There are organisations looking at involving men, but it remains a big challenge in Namibia.

(For more information Lisa.Davidson@vsoint.org)

Mr. Fernando Armando from ACORD LICHINGA gave his feedback. ACORD works on domestic violence, PLWHAs, men and boys, Community leaders and advocacy.

"This conference was very realistic and open. I had exchanged views with colleagues especially from Zambia and Malawi. It was possible to see how HIV/AIDS problems of each country relate to one another. Problems like stigmatization, discrimination is not only a Mozambican problem. People have the same reasons for not exposing themselves (fear of being rejected in the society/family). Things like homosexuality; in Africa homosexuality is not acceptable, but people disclose themselves when they are in other country and they proliferate HIV/AIDS".

Ms. Christina Marques from ADPP-TCE
TCE strongly focuses on educating the community about the transmission of HIV as well as prevention.

"The conference was extremely good and open. It was for the first time in Africa people disclosed them selves of their situation of being HIV positive without any fear. We learned from other countries (Zambia and Malawi) of what kind of activities they are doing in prisons and we realized that in fact a lot of activities can be carried out in prisons in Mozambique. We were very happy to see many countries were invited in this conference. However, we think that other Southern African countries who are severely hit by HIV/AIDS could be also invited at the conference. The overall of the conference is: The best conference I have ever been to!!"

(For more info maria.teodoro@vsoint.org)

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